Apparatus for cutting poultry carcass

Abstract

Apparatus for cutting poultry carcasses into pieces which can be from two pieces up to twelve pieces, having a power driven feeding mechanism which moves a carcass along support while it is being cut into pieces automatically by various blades. The support includes a guide bar having a projecting end suitable for being inserted through the central cavity of a poultry carcass. The feeding mechanism includes twin pneumatic cylinders arranged to cause reciprocating motion of a claw along the support, the claw being arranged to engage the carcass when this is positioned on the bar, and to cause movement of the carcass through the various cutting blades which are mounted adjacent to the support. The bar projects forwards from a supporting slideway having downwardly sloping side surfaces, and the cutting blades include a fixed blade projecting downwardly from the bar in front of the slideway for slitting the wish-bone of the carcass, and a band saw which subsequently removes the drumsticks and the breast point of the carcass and allows the breast of the carcass to be separated, the separate portions then being supported by the side surfaces of the slideway. Subsequently, two blades remove the wings of the carcass, a blade slits the back bone, and transverse blades move into a slot in the slideway to cut the carcass in half longitudinally. The cut parts fall from the apparatus onto a slatted conveyor belt which delivers the cut parts to bags or other containers.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for cutting poultry carcassesinto several pieces comprising frame means carrying support means including a supporting slideway and a guide bar projecting forwardly of said slideway, said slideway having side surfaces which slope downwardly from a central area ridge which forms a continuation of the top of said guide bar, said bar being suitable for insertion through the central cavity of a poultry carcass, said frame means also carrying power driven feeding apparatus arranged to grip a carcass positioned on said bar and to cause movement of the carcass through cutting blade means mounted adjacent said support means, said cutting blade means including first blade means which are positioned below said bar to cut the breast portion of a poultry fed onto said bar with its back-bone uppermost so that the side portions of the carcass are partially separated before said carcass moves onto said slideway, said side surfaces of the support member being arranged to support the side portions of the carcass and being associated with further blade means for performing subsequent cutting operations on the carcass while supported on said side surfaces. 
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first blade means includes a fixed blade for splitting the wish-bone of a carcass as it moves along said guide bar, and blade means for removing the breast point thereof. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first blade means includes a fixed blade positioned under said guide bar for slitting the wish-bone of the carcass as it moves along the bar, and a band saw having an operative reach extending under said bar and arranged to cut off the drum-sticks of the carcass as it moves along said bar. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said support means and guide bar are vertically adjustable relative to said band saw, whereby the apparatus can be adjusted so that said band saw cuts off only the drumsticks, or so that the drumsticks and the breast point are cut off. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ridge area of the slideway includes a grooved portion, into which groove projects a back-bone splitting blade which splits the back-bone of a carcass as it moves along the slideway. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said slideway has a transverse slot therein, said apparatus further comprising transverse blade means carried by a movable mounting arranged to move said transverse blade means into said slot for transversely cutting parts of a carcass held on said support. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said blade means are powered by hydraulic motors. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blade means includes stationary and movable blade means, and wherein all of said movable blade means are powered by hydraulic motors. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus for cutting poultry carcasses into several pieces, comprising elongated support means capable of slidably supporting a poultry carcass while said carcass is moved along said support means, said support means including a guide bar having a projecting end suitable for being inserted through the central cavity of a poultry carcass, and a power driven feeding mechanism for sliding the carcass in a straight path along said support means, said feeding mechanism including claw means and power cylinder means arranged to cause reciprocating movement of said claw means along said support means, said claw means being arranged to engage said carcass when the latter is positioned on said bar and to cause movement of said carcass through cutting blade means mounted adjacent said support means on operation of said cylinder means. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said claw means includes a holder attached to a piston rod of said power cylinder means and carrying two hingedly movable elements having sharpened end portions, said elements being hinged to said holder and movable from a disengaged position in which the elements can admit a carcass therebetween, to an engaged position in which the end portions of said elements extend generally towards each other to grip the carcass therebetween, said elements being arranged to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position automatically as the claw means starts to withdraw from an advanced position where the carcass is placed on said guide bar so that the carcass may be gripped by said elements and moved in a feeding direction towards said cutting blade means with movement of said claw means. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said elements are biased into the engaged position by spring means, said elements being movable against said spring means into said disengaged position by stop means acting on a part attached to said hindedly movable elements as the holder reaches its most forward position relative to the projecting end of said guide bar. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said elements each include a forwardly extending part and a sharp edged inwardly extending part. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said bar projects from a supporting slideway which slideway forms part of said support means and which has side surfaces which slope away from a central ridge area thereof forming a continuation of said bar, and wherein said cutting blade means includes first blade means positioned to cut open the carcass to allow side portions thereof to be separated and to be supported each on one of said surfaces of the slideway, the apparatus including further blade means disposed adjacent to said slideway for performing further cutting operations on the carcass while supported on said side surfaces. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyor belt located below said apparatus and deflecting means for directing cut pieces of carcass onto said belt, said conveyor including further power cylinder means operated in sequence with the power cylinder means which actuate the power driven feeding appartus, said further power cylinder means being arranged to move said belt in step-by-step manner, whereby said conveyor belt is stationary while receiving carcass pieces and is moved by said further power cylinder means to expose an empty belt area after pieces of one or several carcasses have been deposited thereon. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said conveyor belt has a sloping upper reach extending from a lower end underneath the support means, to an upper end having means for guiding poultry pieces into containers, said belt being provided with cleats to prevent the pieces from rolling down the belt and to separate the pieces derived from individual carcasses. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said conveyor is movable relative to the support means for ease of cleaning said conveyor. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least some of said blade means are powered by hydraulic motors 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said blade means includes stationary and movable blade means, and wherein all of said movable blade means are powered by hydraulic motors. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus for cutting poultry carcasses into several pieces, comprising frame means carrying elongated support means including a supporting slideway capable of slidably supporting a poultry carcass while said carcass is moved along said supporting slideway, said support means also including a guide bar projecting forwardly of said slideway, said slideway having side surfaces which slope away from a central ridge area, said ridge area forming a rearwards continuation of said bar, said bar being suitable for insertion through the central cavity of a poultry carcass, said frame means also carrying a power driven feeding mechanism including power cylinder means mounted rearwardly of said slideway, said power cylinder means having piston rod means extending parallel to said bar and slideway and carrying claw means which project forwardly beyond said slideway when the piston rod means are fully extended, said claw means being arranged to engage a carcass when the latter is positioned on said bar and to cause movement of said carcass along said bar and slideway through cutting blade means mounted adjacent said bar and said slideway on retraction of said piston rod means, said cutting blades means including first blade means positioned to cut open the carcass to allow side portions thereof to be separated before moving onto said slideway, so that the separated side portions can each be supported on one of said side surfaces, said apparatus including further blade means for performing further cutting operations on said carcass while the side portions thereof are supported on said side surfaces. 
     
     
       20. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said side surfaces slope downwardly from the central ridge area of said slideway, and wherein said first blade means are positioned below said guide bar in front of said slideway and positioned so that when a carcass is moved along said guide bar with its back-bone uppermost the first blade means cut the carcass in such a way as to allow the sides thereof to be opened at the breast portion. 
     
     
       21. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said first blade means includes a fixed blade for slitting the wish-bone of a carcass as it moves along said guide bar, and blade means for removing the breast point thereof. 
     
     
       22. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said first blade means includes a fixed blade positioned under said guide bar for slitting the wish-bone of the carcass as it moves along the bar, and a band saw having an operative reach extending under said bar and arranged to cut off the drum-sticks of the carcass as it moves along said bar. 
     
     
       23. Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said support means and guide bar are vertically adjustable relative to said band saw, whereby the apparatus can be adjusted so that said band saw cuts off only the drumsticks, or so that the drumsticks and the breast point are cut off. 
     
     
       24. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said ridge area of the slideway includes a grooved portion, into which groove projects a back-bone splitting blade which splits the back-bone of a carcass as it moves along the slideway. 
     
     
       25. Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said slideway has a transverse slot therein, said apparatus further comprising transverse blade means carried by a movable mounting arranged to move said transverse blade means into said slot for transversely cutting parts of a carcass held on said support.